Antec P280 Super Case Review

The Antec P280 features a front door with a stylish anodized aluminum face and magnetic latch. Based upon how they are implemented, doors can be an Achilles Heel for the case. For example, some products have the USB ports and on/off switch behind the door, so you must open the door every time you want to connect a USB device or turn on your computer. In such cases, we prefer that the case simply didn’t have the door. On the Antec P280, however, all buttons and connectors are not located behind the door, so what we’ve just described doesn’t happen

The manufacturer decided to add a door for a few reasons. First, a door keeps the same design style of the Performance One series. Second, the door helps reduce the noise generated by the PC, as it features a dampening foam behind it. See Figure 5. Third, it allows more airflow for the optional front fans, as there is a 0.6” (16 mm) gap between the front panel and the front door, and the sides and bottom of the door are completely opened.

Another important feature of the door of the Antec P280 is that it can be opened 270º to the left, and you can put it flush against the case’s left panel. (See Figure 5.) This is very important, as in most cases the door opens 180º; the risk of breaking it is high because the door will be in the middle of the way. (For example, if your case is on the floor and the door is opened, you can easily break it by hitting it with your chair.)

Unfortunately, you can’t reconfigure the door to be opened to the right side. So, depending on where you want to keep your computer in your workplace, the direction the door opens may be an issue.

The front panel of the Antec P280 has three external 5.25” bays, using solid covers. It supports two 120 mm fans, but they don’t come with the case. An air filter is available for these fans. See Figure 6.

The case comes with two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and the traditional audio jacks. The USB 3.0 port uses an internal connector, so make sure you install a motherboard with an internal USB 3.0 header. They are located on the top part of the front panel. The power and reset buttons are located on the front part of the top panel. See Figure 7.